Tacoma mom demands answers after school bus doesn’t pick up her son

Tacoma mom demands answers after school bus doesn’t pick up her son

TACOMA, Wash. — For the second time in two weeks, a Tacoma mom says the school bus failed to pick up the children at their bus stop. She said it happened Monday morning, and her husband ended up having to drive seven kids to school.

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Eight-year-old Kasey Williams says he enjoys riding the bus to school, except when it never shows up.

“The bus was late, and we were standing out here in the rain, and it was pouring,” said Williams.

After 45 minutes of waiting Monday morning, Williams said his dad ended up driving him and his other classmates to school.

“Their parents were gone and they had no mode of transportation so we had to pile them into our car and take them to school, and it was probably about six of them,” said Santana Cheaney, Williams’ mother.

Cheaney said this is unacceptable, especially since it happened twice in the recent weeks.

“They depend on the bus system and the school to take care of their children when we’re gone; it’s very alarming,” said Cheaney.

Tacoma Public Schools says in this case the bus driver overslept.

“We’re really sorry for the inconvenience that it’s caused,” said Tacoma Public Schools Spokesman Dan Voelpel.

However, Cheaney says when she called the bus service, they told her they were in need of buses and asked her if she knew anyone who wants to be a bus driver.

The district admits their bus service is looking for more drivers.

“I don’t know what went on in conversation between our contractor and our parent, but I do know that we do have a shortage of bus drivers and we’re recruiting right now and we’d love to have more applicants out there who could run some of our routes for us,” said Voelpel.

Regardless of the reason, Cheaney says this shouldn’t happen again.

“I hope tomorrow my son’s school bus is here on time, and he gets to school safely,” said Cheaney.

Tacoma Public Schools says when the bus driver missed a stop last week it was because they got lost and missed it on the route. The district says it is working to make sure this doesn’t happen again.